Wine: The Taste Washington party you don’t want to miss

Washington’s wine industry has experienced a meteoric rise in the past 10 – even five – years. Not just in the number of wineries and grape-growing acres but in the quality, beauty and age-ability of the wines. It’s no surprise that Taste Washington, our annual four-day salute to the vine, which takes place March 31 to April 3, has grown into the largest single-region wine and food event in the country.

This year, more than 230 wineries from Seattle to Walla Walla and everywhere in between will pour an estimated 200,000 samples of 900 featured wines into more than 5,000 glasses. While I’m looking forward to the grand tasting on April 2 and 3, where much of this sipping and swirling will occur, I’m probably most excited about an event that is new to Taste Washington this year.

It’s called The New Vintage, and it takes place on Friday April 1 from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Motif Hotel in the heart of downtown. Attendance is expected to exceed 500 – it’s going to be a party. There will be dancing. There will be hot chefs and really good drinks. Gents, your Marmot slicker can’t pass for a jacket here. And yes, ladies, it means you can wear that LBD in your closet – the one that always seems too dressy for Seattle.

Five incredible chefs – Jason Stratton of Mamnoon, Stuart Lane of Spinasse, who was recently acknowledged by the Food Network as making one of the top five Italian dishes in America, Derek Ronspies of Le Petit Cochon, Steven Ariel of Trace, Shota Nakajima of Naka and Audrey Spence of Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails will prepare tasty morels to be paired with wines from 45 wineries. DJ Tina T will spin music and upon arrival there will be a rose bar for pink wine lovers, which is pretty much everyone.

Tickets are $75 and I suggest you get them now before they sell out.